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Text on Screen:Candidates running for Governor 20How many will promise to support Minnesota communities...and then follow through?It's important to ask the candidates.Why?Video from August 1, 2002, Tim Pawlenty (R) Governor Candidate"And we just had a $2 Billion budget deficit, and it wasn't Roger Moe or I that said we should be cutting LGA. We're the ones who said we're going to hold it harmless."You can't run around the state and say 'I'm not going to increase taxes and then cut LGA in a way that drives up local property taxes. I understand that. (Graphic showing LGA per capita has gone down about $120 since 2002 and property taxes have gone up about $40 per capita in the same period) "But what I'm trying to convey to you is yes we need to make sure that LGA formulas are fair ...(Graphic : Since 2003 cities have lost $782 million in LGA)...and yes we need to make sure that they are preserved and protected. But long term if that's the extent of the vision, there are communities, there are towns that in 15 years are going to be non-existent."(Graphic: Since 2002 MN Property Taxes Are Up 64%)Homeowners HurtLarry Olsen- Richfield Homeowner"Property taxes have really affected my family. I have been forced with these...this decline in the market to take on three different jobs. I also have three kids who are of high school age or a little older that I've actually asked to work to help me pay my bills."Raphael Harden- Richfield Homeowner"You know am I going to be able to pay my mortgage. Am I going to be able to pay my other bills. And with our property taxes going up and not knowing what's going to happen when we receive our next mortgage statement."Safety SuffersChad Olson - Councilmember - Dilworth, MN "We're postphoning the hiring if not forgoing the hiring of a full-time police officer in Dilworth."Tom Stiehm- Mayor- Austin, MN "We're down one police officer already." Olson " So we will have one less police officer on the streets in the city." Stiehm"We're anticipating another police officer going in August."Dan Ness- Mayor- Alexandria, MN"But we could not hire the two additional officers that we need."Rick Wolff- Mayor- Hibbing, MN"Between police and fire we have about 50 personnel. Approximately. And I think because of the cuts right now we're down five." Ness"There'll be a slowdown in service for sure because we just have fewer people to do more work." Roads CrumbleNancy Carroll- Mayor - Park Rapids, MN "Reparing our roads and doing maintenance, general maintenance items, we have just stopped doing that kind of thing in our community.""The consequences of not doing regular year-to-year maintenance is that eventually our roads will be in such poor condition that we will have a huge expense to completely reconstruct them."Pawlenty 2002"You can't run around the state and say 'I'm not going to increase taxes and then cut LGA in a way that drives up local property taxes." Graphic: This election candidates WILL be traveling the state and making many promises. Ask them where they stand on LGAYour property taxes and the strenght of your community are at stake. For more information about cuts to Local Government Aid (LGA) visit www.thanklga.orgPaid for by the Coalition of Greater MN Cities

• Release Date

  Sep 23, 2009

• Runtime

  02:35